Getting to know the Valkyrie sounds.

[rockbobmel]

Went for a 140ish mile ride today. It was beautiful in Western Mass.!

All is well.  I am curious. When in 5th or 4th, I noticed a slight clunk (feel not sound) when I let off the throttle and accelerating again. It's very slight. I could feel it in my feet and engine area. At first, I thought it was popping on decel, but it's not.
It feels like backlash in the gears. Is this normal? 

I also changed out the oil with 15W50 M1 and the whining seems pretty loud.  Should I try GN4?

2002 with 12,500 miles.

Thanks,  Bob

[JimC]

That is pretty low miles for it to be a u-joint.
There is a possibility that the rubber spacers in the rear wheel could be deteriorating, but that is low miles for that also.

Those are the only two things that I can think of that would do what you describe, others may chime in though.

Jim

[Bighead]

Pull your rear tire and have a look at the dampners.
Looks like Jim and I were typing at the same time......lol

[old2soon]

The gear whine-think 63 Chevy 4 speed-is normal around 45-55 M P H. These shaft drives do have a bit of slop in them. Thinkin bit over 12 G on miles the U-joint should be good. Next time you service the rear end have a look at the cush drive rubbers. Maybe order the three O-rings and do the rear end service so You KNOW it's been done. Somewhere on this web site-drawin a danged blank right now-is a listing of knwn problems with these machines. Not too worry-I've had mine comin up on 8 years and 91000+ miles. Ta Da-shop talk is what you want. Also has a list of generic parts that work. I'm currently using Mobil 1 15-50 Synthetic. Peruse shop talk git on the tech page and use the search bar. Lotsa GOOD info here. RIDE SAFE.

[Jess from VA]

My dampners never went bad, but my Ujoint did, and I felt it thumping in the footpegs first.  This thumping is more related to on and off the throttle (stressing the driveline).

But thumping can be a wheel bearing too, and the most common one to fail is the single row bearing on the left rear (and I lost that too).  See the double row bearing replacement mod on the left rear in Shoptalk. This thumping can also be related to on and off the throttle, but it can also come on at certain lower speeds intermittently, regardless of throttle play.  Try tight turns to induce bearing symptoms (squawking/squealing/grinding).

When these things start to go south slowly (as opposed to catastrophically), it can be hard to figure out.  Until you do, don't go far from home.

For the bearing, put the bike on the jack and check the wheel for lateral play, or push it fore and aft and feel for movement that shouldn't be there.  Spin and listen (maybe with your ear on a long screwdriver).

A little slop in the drive line can be normal, but not too much.  You can ride the bike in first slow and just easily goose the throttle a bit (don't overdo this).  You're trying to find out if your Ujoint is failing, but hard goosing (the torquey bitch) with a newly failing Ujoint can make it fully fail.  

This is about the best how to-on the Ujoint (clicking each picture, blows it up and reveals more information).  http://www.rattlebars.com/mtz/ujoint.html

Of course, tearing it down in back is the only way to really know what's up.  And if you do need a new Ujoint or wheel bearing, that's the only way to fix it.

When I needed a Ujoint,  I ordered one (and a shaft, and a pinion cup), but I only needed the Ujoint.  I just didn't want to have to wait on parts I might need.  If you do need a Ujoint, do yourself a favor and get a new boot.  A new one only takes all afternoon to put back on, the old one may take several days (and I poked a hole in my old one anyway trying to force it on; and that meant water inside the driveline, which is a very bad thing).

If it's the wheel left rear wheel bearing, I highly recommend the double row left mod.  Your rear brake caliper spacer has to be machined down a bit shorter.  A new one is not too spendy ($20), so I ordered one and took it to a shop with the specs for machining, so it was ready when I needed it.  

With your low miles, I doubt it's the wheel dampners, but age can always be a factor.  The telltale sign here is crumbly rubber under the dampner cover.

The only oil I ever used that reduced gear whine was the 10/40 MC specific Amzoil, but when it went to $13 a quart, I quit using it.  A gallon of Shell Rotella T6 is $6 less than two quarts of Amzoil.

[Hook#3287]

Bob, as far as the engine whine goes, it's pretty much you get what you got and you get used to it.

Some claim less whine with synthetic oil and each bike is a little different, but all Valks do it.

The clunk can be any number of things all ready mentioned here and the only thing to do is go hunting or wait till it gets worse or your next rear tire swap.

Like Jess said, you can check the rear bearings by lifting her and see if the rear wheel moves and you can turn the wheel and maybe get a feel of what has too much play.

Just ride her and time will tell.

[Jess from VA]

I just woke up and read this thread again.

Hmmm.  I think many of us have a tendency to read in our own experiences (perhaps a bit too much) to other peoples experiences. 

Given what you reported, maybe nothing is wrong at all.  Don't take my post as any kind of a dire prediction.  Just an idea of what might be wrong (based on my experiences).   

[davit]

I just woke up and read this thread again.

Hmmm.  I think many of us have a tendency to read in our own experiences (perhaps a bit too much) to other peoples experiences. 

Given what you reported, maybe nothing is wrong at all.  Don't take my post as any kind of a dire prediction.  Just an idea of what might be wrong (based on my experiences).   

This.  ^

[Fla. Jim]

Yep, don't get to concerned. I have owned two valks 97&98 and they both had more slop than I expected in the drive train. Just one of the foibles of the Fat Ladies drive train.

[Hook#3287]

I just woke up and read this thread again.

Hmmm.  I think many of us have a tendency to read in our own experiences (perhaps a bit too much) to other peoples experiences. 

Given what you reported, maybe nothing is wrong at all.  Don't take my post as any kind of a dire prediction.  Just an idea of what might be wrong (based on my experiences).   

Sleeping in were ya?  9:21am?  The only way I can sleep that late, is if I go to bed at 5am and I can't stay awake that late anymore.

I think your post was very informative, by the way.

[Jess from VA]

I just woke up and read this thread again.

Hmmm.  I think many of us have a tendency to read in our own experiences (perhaps a bit too much) to other peoples experiences. 

Given what you reported, maybe nothing is wrong at all.  Don't take my post as any kind of a dire prediction.  Just an idea of what might be wrong (based on my experiences).   

Sleeping in were ya?  9:21am?  The only way I can sleep that late, is if I go to bed at 5am and I can't stay awake that late anymore.

I think your post was very informative, by the way.

In my 8th year of retirement, I keep regular hours only irregularly.  The time of day or day of the week is largely irrelevant to me anymore (except for the garbage man), and after 40 years of not enough sleep, now I view sleep as an almost decadent hobby.  It took me a few years of retirement to get this way though; I was up and to bed very early for so many years, it was a hard habit to break.  Being beholding to no one, no company, no job, and no routine is quite ... liberating.  And sleep is about the cheapest hobby one can come by (it's hard to wear out your sheets; especially all by yourself  ). 

And picture this.... in those 8 years, my alarm clock has only gone off maybe 5 times (for early ride hookups).  I have had that same radio alarm clock on my bed stand for a couple decades, and I got so I could manipulate all the little tiny buttons on the back in the dark just by feel.  Now I have to turn the light on (and put my glasses on) to set the damn thing.   

I try to be helpful in my MC posts (and to fellow members).  But helpful can sometimes come off as the boy calling wolf (when it was only a squirrel).